Critical Thinking for Transformative Justice

Imagine that because of

Imagine that because of war, or AIDS, or famine, or religious conviction, parents could not or would not teach their children how to think critically. Imagine the social and political strife, the falling apart of fundamental systems of public safety and public health, the loss of any scientific understanding of disease control or agricultural productivity, the emergence of paramilitary gangs, strong men, and petty warlords seeking to protect themselves and their own by acquiring control over what food and resources they can and destroying those who stand in their path. Look at what has happened around the world in places devastated by economic embargoes, one-sided warfare, or the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Or, consider the problem of global climate change, and how important it is for all of us to cooperate with efforts to curtail our uses of fossil fuels in order to reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases. Consider the “cultural revolutions” undertaken by totalitarian rulers. Notice how in virtually every case absolutist and dictatorial despots seek ever more severe limitations on free expression. They label “liberal” intellectuals “dangers to society” and expel “radical” professors from teaching posts because they might “corrupt the youth.” Some use the power of their governmental or religious authority to crush not only their opposition but the moderates as well -- all in the name of maintaining the purity of their movement. They intimidate journalists and those media outlets which dare to comment “negatively” on their political and cultural goals or their heavy handed methods. The historical evidence is there for us to see what happens when schools are closed or converted from places of education to places for indoctrination. We know what happens when children are no longer being taught truth-seeking, the skills of good reasoning, or the lessons of human history and basic science: Cultures disintegrate; communities collapse; the machinery of civilization fails; massive numbers of people die; and sooner or later social and political chaos ensues. Or, imagine a media, a religious or political hegemony which cultivated, instead of critical thinking, all the opposite dispositions? Or consider if that hegemony reinforced uncritical, impulsive decision making and the “ready-shoot-aim” approach to executive action. Imagine governmental structures, administrators, and community leaders who, instead of encouraging critical thinking, were content to make knowingly irrational, illogical, prejudicial, unreflective, short-sighted, and unreasonable decisions. How long might it take for the people in this society which does not value critical thinking to be at serious risk of foolishly harming themselves and each other? The news too often reports about hate groups, wanton shooting, terrorists and Facione, PA, “CriticalThinking: What It is and Why it Counts” 2011 update Page 24

violently extreme religious zealots. Education which includes a good measure of critical thinking skills and dispositions like truth-seeking and open-mindedness, is a problem for terrorists and extremists of every stripe because terrorists and extremists want to control of what people think. They are ideologists of the worst kind. Their methods include indoctrination, intimidation, and the strictest authoritarian orthodoxy. In the “black-and-white” world of “us vs. them” a good education would mean that the people might begin to think for themselves. And that is something these extremists do not want. History shows that assaults on learning, whether by book burning, exile of intellectuals, or regulations aimed at suppressing research and frustrating the fair-minded, evidence-based, and unfettered pursuit of knowledge, can happen wherever and whenever people are not vigilant defenders of open, objective, and independent inquiry. Does this mean that society should place a very high value on critical thinking? Absolutely! Does this mean society has the right to force someone to learn to think critically? Maybe. But, really, should we have to? Facione, PA, “CriticalThinking: What It is and Why it Counts” 2011 update Page 25

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PDF DOWNLOAD Critical Thinking: Learn the Tools the Best Thinkers Use, Concise Edition TRIAL EBOOK
Critical Thinking For Student Success and Career Development, or Critical Thinking courses. Written by two of the leading experts in critical thinking, this book focuses on an integrated, universal concept of critical thinking that is both substantive and applicable to any and every situation in which human thinking is necessary. It provides students with the basic intellectual tools needed for life-long learning,... Full description

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PDF FREE DOWNLOAD On the Brink: How a Crisis Transformed Lloyd s of London TRIAL EBOOK
This is the story of how huge losses very nearly destroyed a revered British institution, Lloyd s of London, the world s largest insurance market; how outraged members challenged a complacent institution; and how it changed to confront and overcome its biggest ever crisis. Ten thousand people faced huge personal bills they thought profoundly unfair. They were trapped; there was no escape. The market that insured disasters had become a disaster for its members. The story of Lloyd s is relevant now, raising many contemporary issues: levels of professional competence, trust, negligence, perverse incentives, and responsibilities owed by insiders to outside investors. High rewards contrast sharply with disastrous results. It raises the legitimacy of governing institutions, the right degree and form of self-regulation and the role of government. It illuminates the limits of tolerance, the power of anger, and its limitations. The search for justice shines a light on the workings of the English and US legal systems. Fairness is pitted against commercial expediency. Old attitudes clash with new circumstances. Leadership is critical in building trust and deciding when to compromise.Fresh thinking, new structures and new skills are all needed to find a way to balance the interests of past and future stakeholders. Persuasion has to overcome alternative analysis, misunderstanding, anger and inertia. Engagement of opposing parties proves critical. The issues illustrated by this story arise each day in Britain, the US and elsewhere. On the Brink is a true story of strong characters, changing fortunes, contrasting values, incompetence, real experts, self-help, creative compromise, innovation and change. It is the story of individuals, groups, leaders and the institution, locked in a battle for survival, each slow to see their common interest. To this day, the Lloyd s crisis raises strong emotions among those involved; many myths have grown up. This book tells what really happened,